Passing Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 17

Passing Notes.

Nineteen thousand- pounds Invested at the late race meeting in that legalised gambling • machine the totalisator ! Say that there are » dozen race" meetings In various parts of the Colony during the year,' and that the same ' amount of gambling'gofes on everywhere,- then <: you have a sum of over two hundred thousand pounds changing 1 hands through totalisators •' alone. Ye gods and little fishes, what an ' appalling total ! The Colony, however, would, ' it is true, be no richer or poorer by so mucto money changing hands, except fib the extent of the ten-per cent, commission paid to 1 the jockey ' 'clubs,; and' even that is invested in prizes to encourage the " noble sport." But some few ' thousand unfortunate individuals, who' lost what the others' gained, would have so mucti less to pay their butchers' and' bakers' bills, < and in that 1 casei' who pays the piper? Yet though this' dreadful immorality is positively* ' sanctioned by- solemn enactment, those' 'gentle.' stimulants to interest in the sunning, commonly known as "sweeps," are to be severely 1 suppressed. Can we wonder that people ask, i | why? I have a strong suspicion that certain ' mysterious advertisements which appear in the papers indicate a considerable activity in that form of sweeps known as " consultations." - But the most innocent form of those little lotteries got up on the course for £5 or £10' a*piece are sternly suppressed, or worked striotly sub rosa. And how can our fair friends possibly take part in a little spec, which they musn't talk ' about? Why, half the pleasure is in talking about your neighbour's losings, or your own ' winnings. It is hard while the sterner sex are frantically fighting their way to the legalised gambling maohine, getting sometimes bruised and broken in the struggle, as I see one corres. pondent complains, that the ladies can't do ■ their lUtleJgambles, as theysit oh the grand-stand ' or in their carriages, in peace. How different it would be if the fair sex were only represented in Parliament. Why Bhould all the pleasant ' vices be legalised to the coarser sex and denied to the ladies ? As it is, a man may legally win hia fifty pounds or so at a totalisator, and his wife mustn't win a pair ofjgloves. At least they ought to have one totalisator specially railed off for the ladies, who cannot well rub shoulders with the masculine crowd, and at present can only do their plunging by deputy.

I perceive that a Mr Abraham, whom I take to be the " eminent consuitationist,"— whose portrait appeared in last week's Witness, with the notification over it that " it would be classified ia our next," and will doubtless be classified with the sinners,— writes to the Times scg gesting an iDgenioua plan of legalising and oontrollir.g gambling. He proposes that total i gators should be licensed, that consultationiat s ohoald pay an annual feo of £100, and that a 1* tickets in " sweeps " abould be stamped, that the Superintendent of Police should countersign nil cheques, and that the drawings sbo uld be made under police supervision. I anticipate the objection that this would He making the State a partner in Iniquity. But is it not ia the same sense already a partner In mi qsily, fn connection with the licensing laws Does it not share fcbe publicans' profits, wuTfliwr

certain amount, of income from the fines of " drunks; ?" It ie'a question whether the State baa anything to do with enforcing morality, though it has a groat deal to do with keeping social order. True it is, as old Dr Johnaon says. How small of all that human hearts endure, That part which laws or kings cancaußo or cure. If a particular form of .amusement is a groae offohce against public taate, the' State' is justified'in suppressing i* ; but, if the public taste is generaUyoin favour of it, the law not only ought, not, but cannot/ suppress it. It is difficulti perhap*, to draw the line where the (interference o£ the State ahouldatop ; but one thjng fa quite certain— viz., that it can't go ahead of public opinion. The question then arises,, when, it can't put a stop to a thing that may be re ganfed as more' or less ob'jeotionabl^-aa, for instance, the practiceof "nippiDg,"-whether it can to a certain extent check and'dontrol'it.' A marfcannotibe prevented 1 from getting drunk in his iown house; >but,if he •,mar.che*into, > .the 1 public Btreeta and becomes Jnoapable^q^disoi-, deriy, the Wyery. properly takq? him in hand. Bo witli'*egara to totalizators, the legislature in legalising them, under certain restrictions, recognised the necessity of 'giving a "sop to Oerberns," w but u it ' only' 1 satisfied one of the 'mouths of 'that three-headed' animal Why shonldilhe others be starved ? 7 Mr Abraham, wicked as he iB supposed to be, is, logically < sight, in .asking .that.the principle embodied in legaljteipß j .totaltea.tors when under the , control of JQokey f j clubs— »nd charitable or religions, swindles fjyispecial license— should be extended to Bweepßiapd that' all, should contribute to the reve4ue'ana be under police inspection and ContrdL ' I don't believe in the police touching the ; moiiey, but' 'the difficulty of preventing positive swindling imight be ; got over . in some other way. 'l »m quite sure the:disease wonM; be suppressed iby act of Parliament, and it, is questionable .whether it is wise to drive it in by repressive enactments. , Logically, is no escape from this conclusion.' Either tjotaliBatorsinußt be 'suppressed, O r sweepßmu'st'.be in some way tolerated. It is'^ matter' of pW fect'indifference to " Oivtt" individually which' courte is decided on, as»heihaß no dmall vioesj andidoes dot. "< plunge^ but > one or otheu.of these alternatweßiis, inevitable. ii ■ > - .. ■ , i -n i i >< i .• "i l )>!f •' i rjr r| 'f-i'! > j ' * Jif vjiin ii.. A 8; the dumb bbb rebuked th^-madness of the prophefcißo'atfch'eiSarrrisqnHailtne Government Auctioneers dog ' Wmdnstrated ''against the iU-timed f harangue witli whioh > his "master' prefaced thesale'of tno<runklEnipowered to pass nnderthohatnmerthreemilUonaoresofthe public > estate, tor ) pliceB j! whlch, l in (j Ge*many,..wonld ,be, thougbj tyg en^^W ßt ?%# c . fWty °f a Berene Highness, ,%, (Martin^refased^; rise to, the sublimity^ of Jhe occasion,, He made a BpeeoV^hWe'n^ B^eecV r w»s wanWancl a" foolish speech at that. Did Mr Martin Imagine tliat r fcKe^a^~B»lelea?Toingiobeinflaenbed = by anything he suppose that Intending buyers, who.' had figured -out-their-calouktions -and fixed-their-Hmit,i' might »be srifHawderea by : tbe profei-' sional patter of an auctioneer* The absurdity • of his,endeftvottt(lto ( :,^dis»w,ithe^ttenflonTbfj buyer*" as JmaplfoHtß the fc opßo»tttni^now r ; before, themjj' waij too much-- for, biß ; »udießce, and the Bneeoh,w.as,b^ughJ s to,»;- v stand,:aß .the Star^reporfr, iby,,?'lft«ghW^":dis«eaV' **&> " intejniMPJttPlwt by.tbe.ri#ucttonfler^a , dog>".who hadeetablißhed himseUln the. gallery oi the hall, whence, he enjoyed a* commanding ,vie«rj of the. it excitedt orowd below. .When> Mr Martin: . h w»b".> observing ,that;^many o* the runholders had i; retired with a competency, and were living .at Home,' thia '• intelligent, . animal .was ao struck with; the irrelevance!" inaccuracy of the state-., ment, that he began barking^andkept itnp for several minutes. ; One gentleman remarked that " even the.dog protested againat the auctioneer's sentiments, as stock fell about .twelve year, »go,!{md the old proprietors were rained at that time.'? , Mr Martin , on mmming, , complained that he had been V stopped very abruptly, 3 ' and didn't appear to get into the swing of his tpeeoh Again. He presently ended, resolving privately, I don't doubt,, that he would settle. accounts with' that dog at the conclusion of the sale. If (he animal survives, and his owner wishes to be disembarrassed of him, I dare say. some grateful runholder would be willing to give him a home. .'

Apropos of dogs, I may .transfer to Passing j Notes a. good Btory told of Alfred de Musset, > whohated.and believed he had reason to hates the rwhole canine racei •' He, was unlucky enoughito, .Bhoot, byiaccident, at a. hunting party a favourite pointer / "of Loula Philippe's. This misfortune for a time naturally gave the poet.a bias against dogs, a feeling which waß strengthened by ariotherpainfnl experience: He was a candidate for a vacancy in the Academy, and in pursuing bis canvass went to call !Upon r ari "immortal "whom it was important to -propi-, Mate. This is. what happened :— i

Just as he rung at the chateau gate an ugly, muddy whelp rushed joyously and noisily to greet him, fawning upon the 1 poet's new and dainty costume. Reluctant to draw'any distinction of courtesy, at such a' time, between the Academician and his dog, ho ( had ho'bttfern'atfye but to' accept the slimy caresses, and the eacort' of the animal into the salon. Thß embark rassment of his host he accounted for by the barely defensible behaviour of his pet, but whoa the dog, having followed them into the dining-room, placed two muddy paws upon the cloih and seized the wing of a cold chicken, De Musset'a suppressed wrath found relief in the reserved suggestion, " You are' fond of dogs, I see." " Fond of dogs I" echoed the Academician, " I hate dogs." "But this animal here?" ventured De Musset. "I have home with the beast," was the reply, " only because it is yours.'' "Mine ?" cried the poot, " I thought it was yours, ,which was all that prevented me from killing him !" The two men shouted with laughter. De Musset gained a frierid, but the dog' and his kind an enemy more bitter than before. Iftseema to me that De Maaeet had reason rather $o feel grateful to the animal. Mucaulay defines a dog as " an animal that only spoilt} conveiva tion." Mr Martin, aince his experience in the Garrison Hall, will probably agree with that definition. Yet the intruding dog may not always be in the wrong. There are some converaa tions, as there are some speeches, that ought to be spoiled. In Jh the interference of the dog decidedly helped the

That " the devil's in the moon for mischief" we know on good poetic authority. The moon is the efficient cause of lunacy, bad weather, floods, tides, deficient harvests, eclipses and epileptic fits. From a moral point of view, the influence of the moon must also be regarded aa dangerous :—

There is not a day, The longest, not the twonty-flrst of June, Sees half the business iv a wicked way, On which three tingle hours of moonshine smile— j And then she looks so modes): all the while ! „ j It seems, however, that; there are more capabilities of mischief in the moon than 'even' the poets have dreamed of. Notwithstanding our long acquaintance with her, it is only now that we are beginning to find her out. For some ageß past the moon has been taking unsuspected liberties with the length of the terrestrial day. A, few million years ago, according to Dr Bail!, the Astronomer Royal for .Ireland, the. moon ' wasj only 40,000 miles off, , the . day wasjthree hours long, and the 1 tides' rose a"nd fell' 'from •500 to 1000)feet< „ The advantage,, of htbiaar rangement was* that a great deal of geological work could be got tbtbugh'lh' a short sp^ce of time. Since then the moon has retreated to a distance of 240,000 miles, and her attraction has slowed down the earth to one rotation'' in 24 hojors. ■ So far there is nothing tp complain, of. On the contrary, 'the,, moon's, 1 services to the cause lof religion in, shortening the geologic millenniums must ! be held to entitle her to our gratitude. Unfortunately she is nojt willing, to, let well alone. Dr Ball announces that the "inconstant moon" is still retiring, and that consequently the earth will'byand-by bejreduced to a rotation once in 1400, hours. It is jopen to any person of a speculative 1 turn of mind to think out the effects, of this disastrous change. By way of illustrating its bearing > upon local interests; take the case of the Otago Harbour Board. The Board just now is short of .cash, and Mr Fish' at the meeting this week ventured the ghastly joke, that it might become necessary to sell the new dredge to the Victorians! Mr £aterabn, who followed,, thought that ito keep the dredge from eating its head off in idleness, they would at least, be dr: yen to utilise the machine .as ' a tug-bpat. 1 If the Board are' constrained to such desperate co niseis by merely 1 financial low, water,- what will be their case when the moon ' allows < them only one tide a mouth, arid a poor! one/at CLiarly "the devil's in the moon' for mischief." Dr Ball's own speculations respecting 1 the consequences of lunar inconstancy ' are of a peculiarly novel and startling, kind. It seems that the moon is opposed to ' the eight 1 hours system of labour. The doctor, thus expounds ihial view of the matter :— . ;l - , <\ f i We have heard a great deal \ about - the .necessity 'of shortening the hours of labour. 1 I wish! to point out, /thas the social reformers' who are striving to'shorten thffbou*a.of labour. are ( pulling, one Vvay, ,'while, the mopn Is pulling the other. ' The moon is Increasing •the 1 length ot the day. The change > will , be very, gradual, but nevertheless it is inevitable.' Where 'will tha nine hours movement be, when the day/has increased to 1400 hours? This ,is .a^veJfy^seriouß' matter. ' '•' " ...... A faeriotttf tnatter; it undoubtedly Is, ' P«tictt J ; lariy'bo If/as Dr Ball goes on to suggest', evolu. 1 tion compels ithemuotenduring human race to adapt -itself 'to'th'e new conditions. With the inn abwerthe'horteoii f6r:700 cohsecutlve hours, an| below.itjfordkn, equal apace.rand with. the: 'temperature during eaoh day touching the extremes of the pole and the, equator, the earth, it may, ia^!, .conjectured,, ; wijl" hardly; "be i> any ' longer a desirable place of residence. ■ Yet Dr - Ball aupppsef that; men may still go on Hying.. A. (race may be developed adapted' to 1 the: actuation, and if 80,,th'e working'man of the, far future will, toil for four or five hundred, hours., at (a stretch. There is one way,' however, in which this outlook', so discouraging' to the" working classes, may be altered. Says Dr Bajh-n,',,, „, ■. The question is one. for engineers rather than astronomers ; but I cannot help throwing out a Bug-. geßtion. Anchor the moon, and keep her from going further out; ,If you can do this ; if you can also provide a brakoby which the speed of the moon can .be controlled, then you will still be able to revel in the enjoyment of a 24 hours day. Should this engineering, teat never be accomplished, you will have only the 1409 hours day tp look forward to. ■ !■

I commend the subject to the consideration of Mr Jock Graham and Mr J. G. S. Grant, each of whom informs ua from time to time that /he, is "the founder of .the eight hours', system." Both gentlemen are believed to be learned in lunar influences. They should meet and. confer on the problem — How to anchor the moon.

' The oritics who, in the interest of respectable' orthodoxy, fall foul of ,ths. Gillies (lectures, Beem to me .to. forget .one thing, , The Gillies lectur.es, met, 1 and' met precisely, a demand whioh respectable orthodoxy could not meet at all. It is" clear "that there" are a great' many"good' people in Dunedin whose religious faith. may be 'described 'as in a condition of unstable equilibrium, ,It is a faith which, is easily, upset,— a : yirtue of the uneasy sort which feels its frailty and "knows that itpannot afford to be trifled with. If a lecturer comes along who repeats those familiar theorems of modern Bcjence, the vast age of the earth, the antiquity of man, the possible evolution of all animal forms—' theorems which intelligent Christians' have learned to discuss calmly and accept provision-ally,-these pious unintelligents are thrown into an ecstasy of terror and wrath. The founda- : tions of all things are giving way, the lecturer is an infidel, a manifestation of Antichrist, a sign of the last times. What can respectable orthodoxy do for these poor people ? Respect . able orthodoxy, alas ! is iteelf uader just suh picion of half sympathising with the enemy. I don't-' see what can be doae for then;; but provide . them/ with the science of Mr M. W. Green. and the rhetoric of Mr A. C. Gillies. That meets their case exactly. Their [ faith is easily disturbed, but thon by the mercy ! of Providence it i« easily rehabilitated, and Messrs G. and G. are exactly the men for tha "ccaaion. Only a hard heart would grudge Mr Gillies' audiences the rapture of seeing Lyeli aud Darwin overthrown by such simple sling-and • atone arguments 'as their champion employed. "He (the lecturer) would despise, abuse, and spit upon, the. iuftfelV <?reea,-(Uughter,)"

occasion

" He (the lecturer) had never seen any crime till he Went to the city of Quebec, whore there were a few infidels. -- (G-reit laughter.)" " Nearly all blackguards were infidels.— (Loud and prolonged laughter.)" "In Nevada people were so hardened that they would aquirt tobacco juice at the preacher.— (Sensation.)" When respectable orthodoxy can succeed like this it will ba early enough fos it to object to Mr Gillies. Ctvis, Corporal Hutchinson, of the' North Dunedin Rifles, has this year wop 'the Rifle Champion Belt at the Nelson meeting. He tied in number of j points scored with Purnell, of Wanganui, but having been the higher scorer in the last match which counted for the aggregates, was entitled to the place of winner. The honour is one well deserved by Hutchinson, who in former years has held the position of both second and third on the list. , Paynter, who [ was champion ilast year, is fourth upon this occasion. [ ■ " ■ , |fos^ 1 and 2 Companies of the Wa'kari Rifle Volunteers have been amalgamated into one company. The .New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Limited) have received the following cablegram from 'their London office, dated Ist March :— " Wool : The sales oponed at|tho level of last sales on the 28tli-li l obruary. Competition by both Home and foreign buyers is -active. The sales comprise about 205,000 bales. 35,000 bales have been sent to the manufacturing districts diro'ct." Renter's telegrams this morning also speak well of the competition and maintenance of prices. At the ordinary meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery, held on Wednesday, the Rev. A. G. Bdyd, of South Dunedin, tendered his resignation. The application of the Rev. A. C. Gillies to be received by the Presbytery as a minister of the Church again came up for consideration, the requisite document from the Victorian Church having arrived. A somewliat lively discussion ensued; and ended by the application being , 'granted. 1 It was agreed to meet in the North Dunedin Church on Monday week for the purpose of moderating in a cau, the Rev. C. S. Ross (moderator) expressing his belief that the congregation had almost unanimously agreed among themselves as to, the choice of a minister.

We understand that the Rev. A. C. Gillies is '.likely to receive a call from the North Dunedin congregation. It wa,s mentioned in \ Presbytery that the majority were in favour of this gentleman,- and that the minority had consented to ' agree 1 to the choice on condition that, the Presbytery should moderate in a call at an early date, which they have resolved to do, i ' THe total amount of the property tax received at the Chief Post-office, Dunedin, up to Wednesday evening was £19,302 14s 4d. Of this £12,535 185 : 2 d was received on Wednesday, the laslday on which the-tax could be accepted with-, out the penalty of 10 per cent., being added, From i and. including. Thursday, • penalty will befenforced. ' The above amount does not show allf the 'property/tax paid by residents in' the city. Some ,of the largest amounts due have been sent by cheque direct to Welling , | tort in preference to paying here. In somOi few instances people from the country districts, may have paid 'the • tax into the 1 .office in Dun edin»> but the amount received' from other than' resident's 'in' 1 the town is insignificant: 1 The ambunt' reported to have been receiyed at sub-, pba't-dffices in Otago is £1590 19s sd,'V. . ' It (<may.be, interesting to some persons to .know' that 1 during the -past 17 weeks there h'af e'bee'n ' no fewer ■ than - 351 insolvencies ' Lae<|lared',tb.r l oughout l ! 'the Colony." This" is, an "average tit nearly,' 21', insolvents per week. , ; The Wellington Times the other day called 1 anlndividual,', ; wHomit afterwards ( referred to •as sa',' most 1 Estimable and respected citizen^ a "• phenomenon. "a He'had^stated'uvCpurt that he had never in his life had occasion to employ a dodtor or a lawyer, which! statement procured forfhimthe epithet mentioned. "He complained strongly that "a nasty slur" had be'dn cast upon him,, and' the epithet was withdrawn,, -with- an explanation ,that there had. been no intention to wound his f eelingst

Jem Mace, the world-renowned pugilist, gaije an impromptu public exhibition of his skill in the art of attack and defenco without weapons in Wellington 'on a, recent Saturday night. According to the Times, while strolling along one of the thoroughfares of the city, shortly before midnight, he noticed a small but ! excited crowd standing opposite an oyster'Bal6on. One of the men present was endea- • voiiring to make peace between several others, with the by no means uncommon result that he himself was drawn into the quarrel. As three; of his companions made a simultaneous attack ,upon him, Mace, who had been standing a jlittle way, off, quickly stepped up, and three scientific taps from him were then sufficient to settle the matter. It was not until after he ,was gone that the luckless wights realised who it was that had interposed and discomfited them. , The Tuapeka Times says :— " The splendid ripening weather which has of late ( prevailed in this district has assisted infringing the grain crops' to maturity fit for the reaper. Har.vesting' operations are' now pretty general throughout the district. The yield this season is expected to be fully above the average of last year.' No rust lias appeared in any part of the district, and farmers are well pleased with the" present appearance of'theirfields." «>. Referring to the sale of the runs, the Tirqaru Herald says :—" Everybody was ' allowed to buy as much pastoral country as he pleased, provided' he was wiling to pay a higher rental for it than, anybody else ; and the result' is that Everybody is suited according to the length of his purse, while the public of the Colony setiire a" handsome increase of revenue without the smallest trouble or expense. It may be said hastily, perhaps, that it would be better to lose the revenue than to allow large blocks to be | locked 'up from settlement for a period of years in the hands of single tenants. But those who hold this" view ignore one of the most conspicuous conditions of the new leases, which provides that any run or portion of a run may be taken by the Government at 12 months' notice without compensation. This most effectually disposes of any danger there might otherwise be of land needed for settlement being locked up in the hands of single tenants."

'In consequence of recent fatal boating accidents the Cambridge Umveiity authorities have issued a notice prohibiting undergraduates using boats on the river above Nownhani, unless they can produce a certificate that they are able to swim well for 100 yards. ' At Devizes Union Workshops some time I ago two aged paupers quarrelled after breakfast as to their places before the fire. One, named Geddish, aged 70^ took a red-hot poker 'from between the pars and thrust it into the rn&ck of the. other, named Coleman, aged 77, .who ctyed in a few moments.

The following quantities of spirits, &c. were delivered from the bonded warehouses of New Zealand during the three months ending December 31st last, the quantities being stated m gallons :— Brandy, 50,372; geneva, 22,095; gin, 5135; rum, 13,424; whisky, 67,736; other kinds of spirits, 3490;-total, 170,352 gallons. Wines— port, 17,581 ; sherry, 11,353 j sparkling, 3338 ; other kinds, 11,600 ;— total, 63,872 gallons. Australian wines, 9474 gallons. Ale and beer, 52.331 gallons.

At Rivorton, Ah King, for being the owner or occupier of a, house in which fan-tan wns played, has been fined £10 and costs. The magistrate, however, discharged a number of Chinese who were summoned for playing the game, holding that there was nothing in the Act to fine people for playing fan-tan.

■ The anti-Jewish riots at Warsaw during Christmas week were much more serious than at first roported. The drunken population wrecked 500 houses and 1000 shops belonging to the Jews. They murdered the men, outraged the women, and committed many acts of great barbarity, not sparing even children. The policemen and soldiers fraternised) with the rioters. The military authorities only interfered to check the excess when the greater part of 'the mischief had been done. Six thousand Jewish families lost everything.

One of our Fijian contemporaries has the following : — " Decidedly the unsophisticated Polynesian is hard to beat, as witness the following,: A gentleman- who, for reasons he deemed all-sufficient, had not the most implicit faith in his houseboy's honesty, hit upon the vety sensible plan of locking up in a chest any garments the pockets of which contained m^ney, and hiding the key previous to leaving the boy master of. the premises. One morning lately he forgot this precautionary measure, and left a certain article of attire hanging up. in which was a considerable sum, consist ing of gold, silver, and notes. Some hours after, oiiv discovering what he, had done,', he posted back to make all secure, to his consternation found the garment had disappeared. After a hurried and unsuccessful search, he called the boy, and sternly demanded, 'Where is that pair of trousers I left hanging up here V ' The trousers ?' was the calm reply. ' Oh, the one with the money in. I put it in the box and locked it up, and I hid the key away in the same place where you always hide it when you lock up the box. Here it is.' The empl6yer has determined to raise the boy's wages and find him another master. 1 "

The Melbourne Herald of a recent date says : — " Some time since we drew attention to ithe proceedings of an individual named Fischer, at ' Sandhurst, who was anxious- to/introduce into a boy's ear some horribly-named intrument against his father's wishes 1 . It will also be" remembered that shortly afterwards the same person announced his willingness to ' clear out to New Zealand if the medical men would subsidise him,' and so get rid of him as a dangerous' rival. 5 It is almost a pity; if all we hear be true, that the money was not raised, and the rival got' rid of. ' The Behdigo Advertiser of to-day is 'credibly informed that a little girl, between 11 and 12 years, on her lasti' 'waV'tf* few^ays'ago'^putfetured au over with needles, and croton oil, rubbed in, ,by Mr Fischer, the Baunscheidist. The 'agony of the poor creature is described as having 1 been dreadful. She 'screamed with pain and cried out, ' I' am f rying,' •It ife c^uel'to^'treat, me so,', and within a K; few hours' afterWaftlg death mercifully released her from her- terrible suf- 1 feririg. ' If this story is .correctT^ahd'it'is nbt' probable that' the Advertiser would publish it otHerwise-^omething' more should be,' done to f Mr I*is'cher than merely sending- him to New Zealand."*;; ■■' '■ <•■• <" "> ." h ; The - residents -of • Roxburgh intend'iriaking 'strpng representations to t Parliament ! atits'next, -session for 'the : re-ereciiion' of' the bridge over >the Clutha River at Roxburgh. ' ' r '•' In the list.of N current prices for, metals published in Iron, 23rd, "December 1 , copper is .'qupted at' 14s' 6d 'per unit, or a rise of 4s .within four months, and^the tendency is still upwards." ' This- is a n hi'aft;e'r' t of considerable' importance to those in this province engaged in i copper-mining. In the same publication, we; find that a particular kind of steel alloyed 1 with a i small percentage of manganese and tungsten, and known as tool steel, is in de.ma'tid at.,£so. per ton,' or four times -the 1 price of (the best' Bessemer steel. This ,is also a matter of importance . to us, as the metal tungsten, which makes the steel so valuable, is found in this province. ' The steamer Ino came down the river on Wednesday afternoon (Bays the Olutha Leader); and is now moored at the bridge here.'- She passed up, about 10 months ago, and was intended to be employed dredging the beaches above Tuapeka Mouth. Tee enterprise did not prove successful, md has now been abandoned. The steamer Jane is still fossicking for gold on the beaches, but as yet without satisfactory results. The Ino draws six feet, and has found plenty of water all the way down. A difficulty is, however, met with here, as on the entrance to the Kaou branch there is only four feet of water. The captain (M'Loan) is waiting orders from Port Chalmers, but believes he will be able to drag the boat across the gravelly entrance to the Kaou, and get, safely to the ocean, Spencer's Island, or Tikore, situated in Bluff Harbour, is to be 1 offered for sale by auction,' by *Mr H. ,E. OBborne, at Invercargill, on the 14th inst, '„ „ ; Mr P. Fulton has a small run" for sale. { - • / " An announcement in reference to the ' British and New Zealand Mortgage an.d Agency Company will be found elsewhere. . . . Messrs Donald Reid & Co. offer for sale by private treaty the lease of a 209-acre farm in the vicinity of Henley station. Mr Proudfoot advertises for a number of men for his New England contract. i The address of Murdoch Munro is inquired for in our advertising columns. ■ The lease of the Mataura floutmlll is offered for sale by Messrs M'Gtibbon, Mataura. The Education Board invite tenders for a number of vacancie.B. . • We are requested to call the attention of any who may be in want of a good sewing-machine to the Singer Manufacturing Company's advertisement in another column. Tbe Company's hire system offers peculiar facilities to those who require machines but who may not be in a position to pay cash for them, as upon this system persons can have a machine by paying the email sum of two shillings and sixpence per week, and when these payments amount to the price of the machine (upon which no chargo is made for interest), it then becomes the property of the hiver. Cash purchasers, too, arc liberally dealt with— 10 per cent, discount being allowed for cash. The Singer Manufacturing Company is not only by far the larg-cst manufacturer of sewing machines— selling three times as many machines as all the other manufacturers put together— but is, moreover, the largest incorporated company in existence, having- a, working capital of £4,000,000 sterling, and employing a vast army of over 40,000 persons in thomanufactme and sale of their machines. These aro sactb— perhaps not generally known— which say much for the populantv of the Singer, and ought to influence Intending purchasers of sewing machines in making their selection. A mistress is required for the Kiverton District School. > A freehold farm at Akatore is to' be sold by auction, 00 the UtQ inst.; by Messrs Gillies, Street, and Hislop.